Racial Profiling at Dresden Main Station

On Thursday, August 25, 2022, the Federal Police carried out racist police controls on a large scale at Dresden Central Station. This included targeted searches of trains from the Czech Republic. Among other things, people were transported to first admission facilities. The controls also affected many children, who were taken away from the main station separately from their parents. In addition, the Federal Police obstructed the press work and detained a press photographer. The whole thing became known mainly through a message on Twitter, in which the actions of the police were documented.

 

The police are pursuing a racist practice and humiliating people on the basis of their appearance. They select people for their checks on the basis of skin color and language and, on the basis of this, impute a blanket suspicion of illegal residence status.

This procedure is nothing new, but in this case it is very visible due to the large-scale measure that lasts for several days and seems to be still ongoing.

 

Racial profiling has a profound impact on those affected and is an intrusion into their freedom. Often, their bodily integrity is also violated during such controls: For example, it is common practice to accuse those affected by racist police controls of dealing drugs. This legitimizes body searches and searches of the mouth. Such actions have long-term consequences, including feelings of helplessness and dejection. Often those affected feel self-doubt and blame themselves, even though they cannot help it. Racist controls have physical, physical and economic consequences.

 

According to a study by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the passivity of bystanders during the controls is particularly hurtful. On the one hand, those affected feel left alone, and on the other hand, the actions of the police are legitimized. Therefore, don't just watch: talk to the people at the controls, ask if you can provide assistance or translate. Film the actions and scandalize the whole procedure of the police. Legal information about filming police officers can be found here. A guideline on how to intervene in police stops can be found here.

 

We, the Cooperation against Police Violence, deeply condemn this procedure. Racial profiling is a misanthropic practice. With these interventions, the police protects power interests and the property of wealthy people.  It destroys livelihoods and livelihoods of entire families who do not fit into a homogenous white image of society. This must end!

 

It is still unknown how long the federal police will continue the measures. It could be that they will drag on for days. According to reports, there were already more controls this morning, Friday, August 26.

 

Inform yourselves and your friends and support those affected in the controls.